Orlov, ND;
Tracy, DK;
Joyce, D;
Patel, S;
Rodzinka-Pasko, J;
Dolan, H;
Hodsoll, J;
... Shergill, SS; + view all
(2016)
Stimulating cognition in schizophrenia: A controlled pilot study of the effects of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation upon memory and learning.
Brain Stimulation
10.1016/j.brs.2016.12.013.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is characterized by prominent cognitive deficits, impacting on memory and learning; these are strongly associated with the prefrontal cortex. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To combine two interventions, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex and cognitive training, to examine change in cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A double blind, sham-controlled pilot study of 49 patients with schizophrenia, randomized into real or sham tDCS stimulation groups. Subjects participated in 4 days of cognitive training (days 1, 2, 14, 56) with tDCS applied at day-1 and day-14. The primary outcome measure was change in accuracy on working memory and implicit learning tasks from baseline. The secondary outcome measure was the generalization of learning to non-trained task, indexed by the CogState neuropsychological battery. Data analysis was conducted using multilevel modelling and multiple regressions. RESULTS: 24 participants were randomized to real tDCS and 25 to sham. The working memory task demonstrated a significant mean difference in performance in the tDCS treatment group: at day-2 (b = 0.68, CI 0.14-1.21; p = 0.044) and at day-56 (b = 0.71, 0.16-1.26; p = 0.044). There were no significant effects of tDCS on implicit learning. Trend evidence of generalization onto untrained tasks of attention and vigilance task (b = 0.40, 0.43-0.77; p = 0.058) was found. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show a significant longer-term effect of tDCS on working memory in schizophrenia. Given the current lack of effective therapies for cognitive deficits, tDCS may offer an important novel approach to modulating brain networks to ameliorate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Stimulating cognition in schizophrenia: A controlled pilot study of the effects of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation upon memory and learning |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.brs.2016.12.013 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2016.12.013 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2016. This manuscript version is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Non-derivative 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This licence allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work for personal and non-commercial use providing author and publisher attribution is clearly stated. Further details about CC BY licences are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Access may be initially restricted by the publisher. |
| Keywords: | Cognition, Memory, Neuromodulation, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, tDCS |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Clinical and Movement Neurosciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1535945 |
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